Not Guilty Road Rage Wood Green Crown Court 2023

We acted for a defendant who was charged with Actual Bodily Harm and Racially aggravated actual bodily harm. Our client pleaded not guilty to the offence that he faced.

The case was subsequently adjourned for trial at Wood Green Crown Court. It was alleged that our client caused serious injuries to the complainant during an incident of road rage.

Our client denied the allegation on the grounds that the complainant intentionally aggravated our client by slamming on their brakes multiple times. The racial conduct was denied. Our client allegedly confronted the complainant by stopping his car in traffic, dragging the complainant out of his vehicle, and punching him several times to the head and body causing the complainant to fall to the kerb where he continued to be assaulted. At trial, the Crown called two eyewitnesses to give evidence in support of the allegations.

Our client asserted that he always acted in self-defence and we prepared and advanced this case. He further denied using racial language during the incident in question.

Our client was found not guilty by a unanimous jury following a six-day trial. Our client is delighted with the outcome and retains his good character.

Self defence the Law -

It is both good law and good sense that a man who is attacked may defend himself. It is both good law and good sense that he may do, but only do, what is reasonably necessary.

The definition is also found in section 3 of the Criminal Law Act 1967:

A person may use such force as is reasonable in the circumstances in the prevention of crime, or in effecting or assisting in the lawful arrest of offenders or suspected offenders or of persons unlawfully at large.

The two key points to understand, then, about self-defence are that:

You must be acting to prevent a crime e.g. to stop yourself or another being assaulted.

The force you use must be considered ‘reasonable’.